You're a What?

No, not that! (Whatever your dirty minds were thinking)

I'm referring to the reaction I usually get when I tell people I'm vegan. Honestly, I think the surprise goes deeper than the disbelief that I can survive without the consumption of animals and animal products.

If you haven't noticed....I'm African American. Yep...I KNOW, RIGHT?

My people don't take kindly to meat not being included in some way, shape or form on their plates during mealtime. Even though I'm American, I am of Caribbean descent. Which means chowing down on the hoof of any given animal was commonplace growing up. So when I ditched that lifestyle for something more peaceful to me, my family thought it was odd, intriguing...or maybe even just a phase. That was about 15 or 20 years ago. (Although, I must admit during my pregnancy with my second son, now 12, I craved Wendy's spicy chicken sandwiches like a fiend....and gave in. Sorry.)

Earlier this year, I decided to extend my vegetarian living to veganism. Now I've just become a freak of nature to most folks. My friends literally call me "the freak". Eh, so what? What I thought was going to be an uphill battle parting from eggs and cheese was surprisingly easy. Instead of upping my intake of soy products-which is what I thought I would do to compensate-I just eat more vegetables and legumes.

It's amazing how your body can go from craving chicken to craving carrots and red beans. I can truly drink almond milk all day if you let me.

My thoughts now are to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday; my first as an official vegan. I am the queen of baking and loved, loved, LOVED my sweet potato pie, cheesecake, and carrot cake-which of course all contain dairy of some sort. I am on the hunt for some good substitute recipes.

One of my favorite easy vegan desserts to zap a sweet tooth is a banana/strawberry smoothie:

2 frozen bananas
1/2 cup strawberries
cinnamon
nutmeg
1 cup of almond milk (or soy, rice, coconut if you prefer)
3-4 ice cubes
dash of stevia or 1/4 tsp of agave nectar
blend ingredients and enjoy!

I like my smoothies really thick, so you may have adjust the quantities to your taste. Soooo good!


At http://www.vegancoach.com/, Patty Knutson put me on to using a surprising mixture of flaxseed and water to make "eggs" for baking! There's a recipe for chocolate chip cookies on her site that she swears by that includes the flax. I've never been a fan of chocolate chip cookies, but my son will tackle a grown man for some. I might test it out on him. He's a die hard carnivore and I have been trying to "trick" him into at least a vegetarian lifestyle...sometimes it works, sometimes not. That's another blog for another day, though.

What Patty did have on her site that made me smile widely was a recipe for a cherry torte that reminded me somewhat of my beloved cherry cheesecake. Here it is:

Vegan Cherry Torte




I adapted this recipe from Mom's famous Cherry Torte, my FAVORITE dessert growing up. Now it's been magically transformed into a vegan dessert that's ready for you to devour! OMG!




This recipe originally called for 1 package of Dream Whip Whipped Topping, made according to package directions. But it was recently brought to my attention that Dream Whip is no longer vegan (it contains casein and whey). For a vegan version of Dream Whip, use Soyatoo Whipping Cream. Please note this is found in a small aseptic-type box (like the one on the right) that you whip up with a mixer, not the stuff in the spray can.







If you cannot find it locally, you will find it at VeganEssentials.com


*CRUST*


2 sticks non-dairy butter (preferably non-hydrogenated too)(1 cup)


1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour


1/2 cup whole-wheat flour


2 Tablespoons Sucanat, or other granulated sugar


*FILLING:


1 package Dream Whip -or- 2 packages Soyatoo Soy Whip, made according to package directions


1 (8 oz.) package dairy-free cream cheese


1 cup organic powdered sugar


1 teaspoon vanilla extract


1 can prepared cherry






1. Crust: Combine ingredients in a bowl. Pat into 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 20 min.
2. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.
3. Prepare whipped topping according to package directions. Fold into cream cheese mixture.
4. Spread cream cheese/whipped cream combo over cooled crust. Cover with cherries. Refrigerate overnight, or at least several hours. Cut into squares and serve.
Serves: 16


Variations:
Try it with blueberry or other fruit filling


Sprinkle dairy-free chocolate chips over the just-from-the-oven warm crust -- OMG!!!



---------------------credited to and borrowed from---> http://www.vegancoach.com/vegan-dessert.html



I can NOT wait to try that recipe and post a review on her site. Vegancoach.com is fabulous...not only for desserts, but it's a great resource if you are vegan or thinking about transitioning and don't have a clue about recipes, cooking, or meal plans for vegans. Check it out!

I'll keep you guys posted on my vegan dessert finds for the holidays. Now if I could just figure out how to make the family Christmas rum cake recipe vegan, I'd be a happy camper....

Love and Happiness,

Nikki

Soul Sisters

It's Sunday, and you guys know that is my power creativity day. Well, now you know. Sheesh.

Anyway, I was doing some meditation and a powerful, almost melancholy jazz-influenced song just flowed from me. I thought it sounded almost like Etta James, but wasn't sure. After I recorded it, I played it back for one of my besties who knows his ish when it comes to jazz music.

He immediately said "Dinah Washington". I drew a blank. Who was she? I had never heard of her, so I did some research. I found this info on WAER's website-50 greatest jazz vocalist of the century Jazzy Women:

Ruth Lee Jones got her start in Chicago as a gospel singer, but began performing in nightclubs in her teens. When she sang with Lionel Hampton, she took the name under which she became a star. She got the nickname "Queen of the Blues" for her many blues and R & B hits, but also made jazz albums with both small and large groups, and attained much success in mainstream pop as well. Her large, dramatic voice and musical versatility influenced such later jazz singers as Nancy Wilson and Diane Schuur.



So, I was intrigued and went to YouTube to give her a listen. I was impressed, but didn't think I sounded like her. It did send me on a quest to listen to other artists who I thought my sound was influenced by. Hands down, Nina Simone and Carmen Mcrae are two of my faves. I love Etta James, and Billie Holiday as well, yet something about the former two grab me.

Here are songs from each of them that I hope will add a few more smiles and soul to your Sunday.

Enjoy!


Sinnerman

 Nina Simone


Just A Little Lovin'  

 Carmen Mcrae


Love & Happiness,
Nikki

11-1-11

Happy November!!!!

I don't know about you guys, but I am both thrilled and appalled that this year has thugged its way through the way it has. Time truly waits for no one, so I am definitely taking advantage at how quickly things are manifesting these days. For me, it just means there's a more narrow time frame between conception to the physical plane.

I woke up this morning in a bit of pain (I was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia a few years back...look it up if you're interested...I try not to dwell on it too much), and decided I was going to take care of ME today. I'm always the caregiver, mother, friend, sister, aunt, employee, etc that so many of us take pleasure in being on a daily basis. However, I was given the "spiritual" ok to just...be.

After I got my son off to school and handled my pain issues, I was drawn to meditate and burn incense. Now, this is a regular practice for me. I usually just sit in stillness and deep breathe myself into peace, serenity, and revelation. Today was different. I felt the need to listen to ancient Egyptian meditation music. The Egyptian goddess Isis permeated my meditation. I knew very little of her, but the message was clear: PAY ATTENTION.

Afterwards, I researched her and...wow! Very powerful stuff. She loved her man Osiris like no other. She loved her people like no other. She was beautiful, smart, cunning, determined. A "complete female". It is said that she was born "on the first day between the first years of creation..." as stated here: Goddess Isis site .

Maybe on this first day of November, I received a blessing of confirmation to continue to pursue completeness with the same passion that Isis (or Aset, as is closer to the original Egyptian name) did. She was one baaaaad mamma jamma! Plus, her wings are fabulous; talk about a show stopper.

No delaying, no hesitation, no doubting of self. Your heart knows who you are.Time marches on....






Love & Happiness,
Nikki

Money Trail

When I checked the calendar today....it slapped me in the face and told me to wake the hell up! It's almost NOVEMBER.

With that in mind, I had to face the fact that even though I am on my financial trek to get my "house" in order for 2012, I might need to amp it up a bit. For those of you who may not know what financial trek I'm referring to, check out my YouTube post from a few days ago--> Confession

So back to today. I decided what was missing was a SOLID plan. I can't just say that I'm going to spend less. In the past 15 years or so, I have become very financially savvy. Coupons, discount airfare and travel, 401K's, investing, home owning, comparison pricing...I was doing pretty well. Then I became divorced in 2007, and I really had to tighten up. I stuck to a budget, signed up for automatic bi-weekly transfers to my savings account, as well as added to my full time income by starting side businesses.

If you watched my video, you know that my goal is to start generating income from my business by the end of 2012. Within the next 2 years, the ultimate goal is to be financially independent from working for someone else. To that end, I searched online today to see if there were any new tips I was missing to complete my solid financial plan. I found this article on About.com, aimed toward single parents: Find Money Article.
The article was based on a 2008 interview, but I think there's still some relevant, good advice there. Finding an extra $250/month sounds fabulous to me!

I know for my family of now 2 (my eldest son is an adult and lives on his own in Atlanta), I spend WAY too much money on groceries/food for my 12 year old son. With dedicated couponing and cutting out 3x/week runs to the Kroger's, I'm pretty sure I can at least save $50/week right there. I also followed Dave Ramsey's radio show for a while in Atlanta and he talked about living on 60% of your income-basically living below your means. It's a shift in thinking, but it's doable because I have done it.

Debt reduction + increasing income=wealth building.

I'll be updating my blog, as well as my YouTube page with my progress, as well as with any new money saving/finding tips I come across.

Love and happiness!

Nikki

Not ANOTHER rant, Cocoapuff? Yep.

I just had to get it out, people.  Let's go...
Click here----->Seriously?

Nikki

This or That?

I am coming off of a fabulous weekend filled with promise of new beginnings and second chances.
Fabulous...wonderful...hallelujah!
So why am I pissed off?
I learned long ago that just because good things are happening for you, not everyone will share in your happiness. Cool. Understandable. People can be selfish, unhappy haters. It happens everyday.
However, when someone you don't even KNOW crosses the line and sends you a message spewing hatred, jealousy, and ill will-I get tripped up a bit. How can your life be so miserable and meaningless that you would spend so much time concocting an unsatisfying breakfast of ignorance? Did it change your misery when you hit "send"?
Now, I am very far from the chick from Brooklyn who would have immediately retaliated to that email. She would have rang the alarm and the troops would have been sent into Operation Beat Down. Yet, that same chick knocked on the door and asked if she was needed for a split second.
Years of yoga and meditation, running and vegetarianism has thankfully somewhat diminshed the fireball temper I was born with.
So what was the best way to resolve this situation that I felt was a test of my emotional growth? Zen chick or Brooklyn chick? This or that?
I decided that I am a sum of my parts. I refuse to squelch all of the lessons that Brooklyn chick taught me: be smart, be strong, be cautious, be unafraid of anyone, be who you are. Yet I welcome the new lessons that Zen chick has blessed my life with: choose your battles, fools rush in, don't overreact, love yourself so you can love others, you create your own situation, and....BREATHE.
As I (somewhat) politely responded that she didn't know me and to please stay out of my effin life, it was good enough for me. Even as the ignorance and drama poured forth afterwards, I took a deep breath...deleted...and moved on with my life.
I can't and will not react to every negative person who crosses my path. THIS I do know.

Look But Don't Touch?

Hello Divas!

So as I was lying around today fighting a nasty bug on my damn day off, I thought about a conversation I had with one of my best friends yesterday. On the topic of possible impending nuptials (more on that another time), I queried if marriage is even relevant anymore these days? Even if it is, how do you keep it together when most people can't seem to stay faithful on a Sunday?

Look, I used to be the bright-eyed romantic waiting on "the perfect man for me" to come along. Then I got married....and divorced years later. I'm not bitter, and still believe in romance and real love..etc. However, when I constantly get asked why I am single, it stings a little-I'll admit. The truth is that I AM picky and I know what I'm worth this time around.

One of the things on my wishlist (and it is long...believe me!) is that we will both be able to remain physically attractive to one another without cheating. Shoot, sex is very important, as well as chemistry. Yet, I know there are tons of hot, bootylicious women out there who are oddly attracted to married men. That notwithstanding, men are visually led as it is. Are the odds stacked against me? I asked my friend, from a male perspective what the answer is.

He stated quite simply: "A man is gonna look at anything that is pretty to him. Hell, you women look all the time. So let him look...but don't touch. As long as you have respect in your relationship, he will come home and tell you about that fine baby girl he just saw and y'all can go work it out in the bedroom."

Um. Huh? What kind of advice is that? I mean, I get we can't walk around with blinders on. I've dabbled in a little visual male appreciation myself. My question is: where does it stop? Can you truly look without touching, and is that the secret to marital/relationship longevity?

I'll have to think on that one.